Of Dragon Tongue and Scale
by Pika Pants
Summary: All Azrael wanted was a peaceful nest to raise his hatchlings in. But the humans always prevented peace among the dragon race. All the humans ever wanted was violence. They thrived off of chaos and destruction. A red dragon's story of survival.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. :L

Warnings: Probably some mild violence in later chapters. Who knows.

A/N: I'd just like to say that this is my first time EVER writing something like this. I've never written anything involving animals (let alone dragons!), so please forgive me if any terms I use are used in the wrong context, or anything like that. I've never written anything for this fandom, either..

But! Hopefully it comes out better than I hope. So, please, enjoy.

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**Prologue**

_Remember friend, as you pass by._  
_As you are now, so once was I._  
_As I am now, you soon shall be._  
_So, prepare for death, and follow me._

_-Anonymous_

_Suggested Listening: My Secret Friend (Ft. Imogen Heap) - IAMX. _

_It's what I listened to while writing this. xD_

"It's insulting, to be honest. The humans treat us as if we are just a lot of stupid creatures, while in actuality we are highly intelligent beings. Just because we can't _speak_ their language doesn't necessarily make us any less sophisticated or dignified about our role in the universe. Sure, Zamorak may not have blessed us with pose able thumbs or vocal chords, but that doesn't mean we have no _feelings_." I hurr quietly to my hatchlings as they wrestle around me. My mate chuckles, a deep and hearty sound, from deep in her stomach. Her scales shudder from her laughter.

Usiel arches her back and stretches her wings wide, a trail of smoke gently billowing from her nostrils.

"Now, now, Azrael, it is most unappealing to complain so outwardly," she croons, her blood red tail swishing through the air and stroking the side of my face.

"How can you stand them, Usiel? Such pitiful and treacherous creatures they are," I groan, closing my eyes and looking away. I can hear soft banter coming from the baby dragons playing around our clawed feet. One of them emits a shrill squeak, causing me to flinch.

Usiel immediately tends to them, and I can hear her crooning reassuring words into their ears. I open my eyes and glance at my family. My mate's metallic scales glimmer in the moonlight, and her golden eyes are half-lidded as she breathes a lullaby of smoke and dragontongue to our hatchlings. The smallest of our babies nuzzles against Usiel's cheek and hurr's softly. She shakes with mirth, causing her silver scales to ripple across her body, making me think of the moon reflecting on the ocean.

"Qaspiel," I whisper, leaning over and nudging her belly with my snout. She immediately snaps open her sky-blue eyes and looks at me, crooning. Climbing over her three siblings she flaps her wings in an attempt to fly, only to hover slightly for a moment before falling down mere paces away from where she started. I chuckle at her attempt and nudge her once more as congratulations on her flight. Qaspiel barely has time to hurr a soft response to me when I hear a loud snap echo around us. Instantly, my family stops all movement, attention focused solely on this new sound. I hear distant murmurs and the sound of metal scraping against metal.

Usiel is by my side in an insant, frantic. "Azrael," she whispers.

"Humans," I reply icily, "take the young and leave the nest. We must-" I'm interrupted as my throat constricts. I try to growl, to snarl, to move; but I cannot.

"Azrael?" I hear my mate growl out fearfully.

_Go, Usiel! Run!_

My scales rustle, and I can feel fear creeping along my body.

A cyan-tipped arrow digs into my neck as, finally, I blink. I lean back on my haunches and feel intense heat well in the pit of my stomach. As the blue flames escape between my teeth, I yell, "Run!" to my family in hopes that we can still be saved.

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A/N2: I'll be accepting OC's into this story as well. If you'd like your character featured into this story, please let me know. Just send me a description of your character's appearance, along with a name (Please no names like aceman12345, because that's really hard to write into a story like this in all seriousness. Try and simplify it to just Ace or something of the sort if you can) and a bio.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. :L

Warnings: Probably some mild violence in later chapters. Who knows.

A/N: I've come to the conclusion that this is just an expirimental piece. Please don't get your hopes up for fast updates.

This chapter was a bit of a pain to write..

But I hope you enjoy it.

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**Chapter 1**

_"Then, there is the covering of pride. _

_And O, what a dense veil is that, which,_

_ like an unclean bird, _

_spreads its baneful wings over a man's heart."_

_- J.C. Philpot_

_"But when pride melts_

_veils part."_

_- Forgive - Charles Cavanaugh_

_Suggested Listening: Rain - Breaking Benjamin_

I awake to the feel of something cool dancing along my scales. I hurr in appreciation, and the sensation vanishes. Slowly opening my eyes I try to locate the source of the feeling. In my half-concious state I notice there is a human girl sitting beside me, a fearful expression on her face. It takes me a moment to process the information.

A human.

Memories of my family being slaughtered flash through my mind. A growl tears through my teeth and I try to reach out and eliminate her, but pain overwheklms me and I slip dangerously close back to unconciousness. The human cries out and reaches for me, placing a hand against my cheek. I go to snap at her, to spite her of her precious limb, but I realize the cool, soothing sensation returns, spreading from my snout to the very tip of my tail. Casting the human a curious look, I hurr softly. She smiles, and I notice it is a very gentle and kind expression that even shows in her turquoise eyes.

"I'm not here to harm you," she whispers, "I am merely trying to help."

I blink slowly and look around, taking in the charred and demolished reamins of my nest. Overwhelmed with sadness, I shut my eyes and allow this human, this creature I've loathed for countless years, to softly stroke my face with her pale fingers.

"I have something I'd like to show you," she says, capturing my attention once more. She stands up and even as her fingers lose contact with my scales and the cool feeling fades, I find myself watching her with curiosity instead of lunging for her and tearing her to shreds.

I watch her step carefully around a small camp fire and rummage through a massive pile of supplies. Scooping up a large bundle of maroon, she makes her way back to me. As she passes by the fire, I take in her appearance. She's short for a human, and very pitite. She reminds of a human-sized faerie. Her orange hair hangs elegantly down to her waist, and the lighting around us makes it appear as if her hair was made from the very fire she started.

The girl kneels down in from of me and places the bundle on the ground.

"Please, do not get startled," she whispers, "She's healing quite fast, so she should be fine."

As she unwraps the blanket carefully, my heart skips a beat, and I try to keep the humans' words in mind.

_"She'll be fine," _is the line that keeps me from killing her instantly.

Qaspiel is curled up in the middle of the maroon mass snoring softly, a thin trail of smoke leaving her nose with each exhale. Her silver scales are barely visible due to all the white strips of bandage wrapped around her form. I stretch my neck to try and nudge her with my snout, to tell her '_Daddy's here' _but immense pain stops me and I can't help the whimper that escapes my throat. The human is instantly in action, gently picking Qaspiel up and carrying her to me. She places my daughter beside me, and I wrap my neck around her regardless of the pain that sears through me. I close my eyes and whisper the same lullabies Usiel once sang.

I hear the human settle across from us.

"My name is Zi," she whispers.

I glance over to her, and, staring directly into her eyes, I smile.

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A/N2: I've been thinking about disbanding my OC-accepting idea. I dunno why, but I just don't think it would be a good idea. I'm already testing my limits with this story itself. I don't want to portay someone's character in a manner they don't deem worthy. Sorry. Also, I have dial-up now! On a computer with Windows 98! Woo!


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